Great Event!

We are so excited to announce that we have been invited to participate in...

The 2nd Annual, Saying I Do - The Art of Wedding Photography

at Kimball Jenkins Estate!

The show will run from February 8-28 at Kimball Jenkins Estate.

There will also be an artist's reception on Thursday, February 21, from 5:30-7:30.

At this reception you will have the chance to meet all the wonderful photographers and enjoy refreshments!  This is a free event and open to the public!

Come and see Allison Hope Photography on the walls at Kimball Jenkins Estates!

call 867-4970 or e-mail us at allison@allisonhopephotography.com
or visit www.kimballjenkins.com

Meet our Clients!

We are excited to introduce to you...

The Carle Family!

Nathan is a Physics teacher at a local H.S., Rebecca a viola and violin teacher, and their two active children have a wonderful zest for life!

We enjoyed getting to know them better during our Holiday mini-sessions!

We saw another mom with a business and a rich musical background, working hard for her family and trying to balance it all.  So we asked her to share more...

Can you tell us about the beginning of your music career/life?  
The early years and the start of your love?

I started taking viola lessons in fourth grade, when our elementary school's orchestra program started.  I'm kind of unusual since I started playing on viola, while many players start on violin and switch to viola.   Through high school I took private lessons, played in lots of small chamber groups, the school string orchestras and the various weekend orchestra festivals that happened about 3 times a year.  Two highlights of those years were my summer attendance at the New York State School of Orchestral Studies, a youth program that had us playing some of the same music that the Philadelphia Orchestra played, while being coached by the principal players of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and my two years being one of the few student members of the Schenectady Symphony, in Schenectady, NY, when I learned how to work in an adult musical setting.

When I went to college, I immediately signed up for the symphony orchestra, private lessons, and string quartet coaching, but my academic studies remained focused on Classics, Religious Studies and Anthropology in preparation for my dream of being an archaeologist.  After graduation from college I continued to pursue archaeology and then museum collections care.  Between museum internships, graduate school, starting a career and then having kids, I took about 10 years off from regularly playing viola.  It wasn't until my youngest was about 2 that I started playing again with an adult ensemble.  I was understandably rusty, but my technique returned faster than I expected and within three months I auditioned and was accepted into the viola section of the New Hampshire Philharmonic and began playing chamber music again with new-found friends. I rediscovered a joy and love of music within myself that I hadn't realized was missing.  My time out playing viola brought me great peace, which is so greatly needed for a stay at home mom with young kids.  In the years since, I have spent a lot of time playing viola with various local NH ensembles, but my primary musical commitment is the the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, where I am Principal Violist. 

One of my new music friends appreciated my passion of music and suggested that I consider teaching.  She encouraged me to learn more about the Suzuki Method  and after attending  their introductory class I found that she was correct.  The Suzuki Method fit my take on learning and teaching very well, and a year later I took the Book 1 Teacher Training (Which works for both violin and viola) and began taking students.  Since then I have completed Book 2 Training and my studio has grown from my initial three students to 13 viola and violin students.  The experience has been wonderful.  I really enjoy working with the variety of people and ages and hope to give each student the foundation needed to reach their musical goals, whether it is to pursue music as a career or to keep music as an enjoyable activity in their lives.

Tell us about how you and your family came to be in New Boston?

When we moved to New Hampshire 11 years ago we lived near Concord where my husband taught at Concord High School.  When Nathan switched to teaching physics at Souhegan High School in Amherst, we knew that our home north of Concord was too far away for his daily commute and began looking for a new home.  We narrowed our search down to a house in Wilton and our home in New Boston.   Our home in New Boston won out due to the location.  The house needed a lot of fixing, in fact the water heater died the afternoon that we moved in (we knew it was on its last legs), but the location was quiet and peaceful.  Having a heron fly over the house when we were viewing it didn't hurt either.  We knew that New Boston was a nice town from all the literature, but we had no idea how welcoming and warm the community would be, and how stellar the NBCS is.  We feel very lucky to have found this home in New Boston and by all plans we are sticking around for the long hall, since we have found our home.

Share with us your families love/or not, of music?

My husband played clarinet and piano as a kid, and still plays piano for fun.  Helen is taking violin lessons from me and is doing well.  Peter started taking piano lessons and then tried viola and neither really spoke to him.  His heart is with the brass instruments and I expect he will take up trombone or french horn in a few years.  My extended family is quite supportive and musical.  My mother is a retired school music teacher and a violinist, my older sister started college as a music performance major on cello until an injury led to a complete change in career, and my father-in-law plays guitar on occasion.

 

What is your most memorable teaching moment?

I don't think I can pinpoint one specific moment, but there is a category of moments that happens for every student at some point.  There are little things that each student has to learn:  the correct hand position on the bow; the movement that your bow arm makes; how the instrument is held under your head; what shapes your fingers make as they are placed on the strings.  Some of these positions take some time to learn and students put a lot of focus on consciously keeping their body in the correct position.  Eventually those positions become natural, second nature, a habit.  That is a special moment.  Often the student won't realize when that has happened, but they maintain the correct position while their attention is focused somewhere else.  When I get a chance to point that out, the joy and in some cases relief that the student displays is really exciting, especially if they had been challenged by that for a long time.

What do you love about owning your own small business?

Easy- the flexibility.  I can work around the needs and schedules of my family.

 

New Year, New Series!

We are very excited to announce... 

we will begin running a monthly series here on our blog!

Each month we will introduce you to one of our clients!

We are so very excited to share with you our very first installment...stay tuned for it tomorrow!

Snowflakes & Smiles

I just wanted to share some of my favorite images from a wedding with documented the end of December!

Hannah and Zak got married just a few days after Christmas on a beautiful day with the just the right amount of snowflakes!

I love the expression on both thier faces as Hannah walked down the aisle with her Dad to Zak.

Wouldn't you love to know what he whispered in her ear?

 Everyone in the bridal party braved the cold to get some great images outside!

Porch lighting is the best!

 You can't tell they were freezing!

I love their expressions!

Hannah's bouquet was stunning!  Simple white roses with silver broaches interspersed.  It really was exquisite!

Hannah changed into awesome silver Chucks for the reception!

 They had their wedding at a church school where they went to high school together!  We created this image right where they had their lockers in high school!

Having two photographers not only means you get different angles and viewpoints, but sometimes we use completely different lighting techniques!

I just love the atmosphere they created by transforming a gymnasium into a winter wonderland, lighting the space with a multitude of LED balls and lights!

 I love the tender moment of the bride's dad holding his week old grandson at his first wedding experience.

The father/daughter dance, an equally tender moment between them.

I loved how Hannah is looking at her Mother, including her in the moment.

Snowflake cupcakes!  As sweet as the couple!

Another tender moment between Hannah and her little brother that I had to share.

They even had a special dance for just the two of them.  You could tell they practiced!

Hannah and Zak changed before leaving the reception.  I do not see this very often anymore...not only practical but kinda fun!  Her simple white dress is super cute and shows of the Chucks!

And off they go!  Anxious to start the next chapter of their lives together!

Here is to a sweet life!

Don't forget!

Our Winter Sale!

Through the end of January, receive a 10% discount on ANY order placed on sessions from 2012 or later!

Did you get married?  Would you like to have something special printed for your anniversary?

Did you have a baby?  How about a gift for the grandparents to remember the special baby days?

Did you finally have the chance to get the whole family together?

Call or e-mail us and we'll get your order in!

allison@allisonhopephotography.com

603-867-4970